ILaiyaraaja - The Empath

 

Being compassionate is one of the virtues of poets and artistes. Only if one is compassionate can he/she understand real emotions and feelings. Concomitantly, this gets reflected in their works. A genuine poet/artiste imagines himself/herself to be the character/thing. In other words, they get into the skin of the character and the output is for all of us to see.

This poet, who loved Krishna from the bottom of his heart imagines himself to be His mother and sings a lullaby. Now, see what happens.

 

கான் ஆர் நறுந்துழாய் கை செய்த கண்ணியும்

வான் ஆர் செழுஞ்சோலைக் கற்பகத்தின் வாசிகையும்

தேன் ஆர் மலர் மேல் திருமங்கை போத்தந்தாள்

கோனே! அழேல் அழேல், தாலேலோ! குடந்தைக் கிடந்தானே! தாலேலோ!

Rajendra Kumar · Periyaazhwar - Kaan aar

 

Lakshmi- the One who is seated on the lotus flower- has sent you a garland of Tulasi and a bouquet of flowers from the Karpaga tree. Oh my dear Emperor, please do not cry! Wear these and sleep peacefully.

 

The poetic beauty in this verse composed by VishNu cittar-better known as Periyaazhwar- cannot be missed; nor can the compassion and care. If the Tulasi and Karpaga Vriksha (considered to be a tree which can grant the boon one wishes for) are aesthetically beautiful, the line that says ‘Lakshmi has sent it’, is imagination at its best. After all, as per legend isn’t Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort? Wife sending flowers to her husband who is in the form of a child, is unthinkable and yet shows the power of ‘decorative imagination’. But beyond all this is that ‘assuming the role of His mother’. Stroke of a Genius!

In the song of the day, the female character assumes the role of a mother. But what stands out is the way the it has been composed making one say that the composer has assumed the role of a mother. Yes, the wordings of the song are pregnant with meanings and feelings, but it is the tune and the orchestration that make it complete; that provide the soul.

For starters, Naan Undhan Thaayaaga VeNdum (Ullasa ParavaigaL), is based purely on that classical raga called Mohanam. As I have often been saying, a raga is just a tool and it is in the hands of the composer to make it beautiful. This composer is known to embellish any raga with his creativity making one see different shades and colours. In this song too, Mohanam shimmers with beauty even as it is heard from different instruments- some known and some unknown.

But there is also another aspect which is special like most of his compositions and we shall see this first.

The composition is set in the 6-beat cycle Rupakam(some may say it is in Tisram, but I feel Rupakam is more appropriate, though both are related, in terms of the count). The prelude goes without a percussion, but it absolutely fits in Rupakam. After a sustained sound for two cycles, one hears the bell sound for the next eight cycles. A very different instrument sounding like the violin takes over and goes on for the next six cycles until yet another differently sounding instrument – like the sympathetic strings one finds in stringed instruments- sounds for two cycles taking us to the Pallavi.

Starting without a percussion first with the rhythm guitar joining soon and sounding ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi constantly, the Pallavi sounds like a riddle-especially the second half- to many. But the fact is – Aanadhellam/ Aagattume/Aaruthale/Serattume/Aanandame/Vaaaaa- follows the 6-beat cycle with 3 rupakams (or 6 tisrams).

Let us now get on with the melodic part.

If the sustained sound in the beginning is sober, the sound of the bell is alluring. It quietly plays the notes of Mohanam and ends with the descending notes. The special instrument – sounding like the violin – is genuinely special as it oozes compassion. The sympathetic instrument that follows seems to say, ‘Forget your worries, I am there as your mother’.

Starting with gaandharam (ga), the Pallavi in the voice of Janaki gives a sketch of Mohanam in no time, at the same time giving that ‘motherly’ feel.

With finesse, the keys start sketching Mohanam in the first interlude and the strings reply with flourish. The flute now continues the sketch in its inimitable style. It is then left to that special instrument we saw in the prelude to complete the sketch with rounded mellowness. Not satisfied yet, the flute and the strings give some splendorous touches to the sketch.

The five swaras of Mohanam take a meandering stroll in the CharaNams. The appearance of the upper ‘Sa’ in the penultimate line, gives the impetus while the podi sangatis in the last line, warm the cockles of one’s heart.

The special instrument does it again in the second interlude. It is intense and at the same time abloom with brilliant colours. The flute sounds now and then and it seems like a mother-son interaction. With unobtrusive energy, the strings move in higher-octave after this and the conversations between different instruments suggest something.

What is that?

Read the first paragraph again and you will fin

ILaiyaraaja- The Angelic Musician

What is Divinity? How do we feel it?

Are Heaven and Hell real?

We all ask questions like this now and then.

Life gets more exciting with questions. Or does it?

Have we ever got answers for these questions?

Yes and No..

Let us forget questions for the time being and have a look at this poem:

தேனினும் இனியர் பால் அன நீற்றர் தீங்கரும்பனையர் தம் திருவடி தொழுவார்

ஊன் நயந்துருக உவகைகள் தருவார் உச்சி மேலுறைபவர் ஒன்றலாது ஊரார்

வானகம் இறந்து வையகம் வணங்க வயங்கொள நிற்பதோர் வடிவினை உடையார்

ஆனையின் உரிவை போர்த்த எம் அடிகள் அச்சிறுபாக்கம் அது ஆட்சி கொண்டாரே.

Sweeter than the honey; He is like the sugarcane.

He smears his body with the ash which resembles the milk.

Resides on top of our head; He is Omnipresent.

Wears the elephant skin.

He is The One who rules Achchirupakkam.

Feel Him and fall at His feet.

He will melt you and give you eternal bliss.

Written by the great Tamizh poet Thirugnanasambhandar, this poem has profound meaning.

Honey, Milk and Sugarcane are all sweet. These denote the Bhakti at a superficial level. But to realise Him, one does not have to go anywhere for He resides on top of our head in the sahasra chakra as per the Kundalini Shaastra. Elephant is an animal with wisdom and knowledge. It also breaks all the obstacles which come in its way. Here, elephant skin is used as a symbol for wisdom and for clearing all obstacles. It may be noted that as per PuraNa, the axle of Shiva’s chariot broke while He was passing through a village to burn the ‘tripuram’, and only then did He realise that He did not pray to Ganesha before leaving. That village then attained the name ‘Acchiruppakkam’. It does not matter if this really happened. What matter are the symbolism and the poet’s brilliance.

This poem has some beautiful contrasting elements too- Feet/Head, One place/Everywhere, Space/Earth etc.,

The poet, who is believed to have been fed with Divine milk, is known for wielding a magic wand and without a doubt casts a spell with his words and word play.

The crux of this verse is- Realise yourself and feel the bliss. That is Divinity.

Let us see yet another Tamizh verse:

கருங்கண் தோகை மயில் பீலி அணிந்து கட்டி நன்கு உடுத்த பீதக ஆடை

அருங்கல உருவின் ஆயர் பெருமான் அவன் ஒருவன் குழல் ஊதின போது,

மரங்கள் நின்று மது தாரைகள் பாயும்;மலர்கள் வீழும்;வளர் கொம்புகள் தாழும்,

இரங்கும், கூம்பும்;திருமால் நின்ற நின்ற பக்கம் நோக்கி அவை செய்யும் குணமே.

Adorned with the peacock feather on the head, with the silk cloth on the waist and with the jewellery on the body, the cowherd boy plays the flute. The trees stop swaying, stand still and shower the honey. The flowers fall down with ecstasy. The branches melt, bow down and keep moving in His direction.

Oh! What a sight!!

This was written by Periyaazhwar, one of the 12 Vasihnavite saints.

If the one who is believed to have tasted the Divine milk, saw and felt the Divine first as the One with a Form and then as the One who is formless, the devotee of Krishna saw Divinity in His music.

Such an experience is possible not just for theists or believers but also for agnostics and atheists.  When one watches a huge snow capped mountain, when one smells the petrichor and watches the rain, when one sees the waterfalls, or watches a bird take a flight.. the experience is indescribable.

The theist and the atheist forget themselves and get into a state of  trance while listening to good music. Though music is nothing but the different permutations and combinations of the seven basic notes, it is an undeniable fact that certain kind of music gives a very special feeling and unbounded joy. This music mesmerises people without an exposure to the technical details of music, people who have some knowledge of music, small children who do not know anything, animals or even beings like the trees.

The music of ILaiyaraaja falls in this category. The reason for magnetism could be because he sees the Divine in music.

Among thousands of glistening pearls from the treasure trove, let us take out one beautiful pearl on this special day.

There are many special features in the pearl called ‘Thenaruviyil Nanaindhidum Malaro’ from the film ‘Aagaya Gangai’(1982). Let us see some of these.

The composition is based on a Hindustani raag called Bhimpalasi. But some of the lines have the note‘re’ in the aroh which is generally not permitted in Bhimpalas. Moreover, the last lines in the CharaNams have the Shuddh nishad which is an alien note.

Generally in a film music composition, it is not uncommon to use alien notes which are also called as accidental notes. However, compositions with a classical touch usually do not have any alien note. ILaiyaraaja in particular, avoids using such notes in his classical compositions. But a closer look at the composition suggests that there is a pattern in the ‘re’ usage and that it occurs as ‘rimaga’.

In the Hindustani system, any raag with alien note or notes, is accompanied by a prefix ‘Mishra’. So, this can be called as ‘Mishra Bhimpalasi’. But I would also prefer this to be called as ‘Raaja Bhimpalasi’ for reasons not unknown.

By the way, did I say this entire composition is based on one raag? I must correct myself. The raag changes in the second interlude not once but twice and the second charaNam is based on the third raga. Let us see these ragas later on.

Though he is always ‘ILaya’, time and again he has shown that he is ‘ee laya Raaja’. In this composition too, this Laya Raaja makes an appearance in the very beginning. And what an appearance it is!

The Mridangam and the Tabla indulge in a Tisram play. It starts with the Mridangam first which plays one tisram. The tabla responds. The mridangam plays.The tabla responds again. This playful game lasts for 12 tisrams with each tisram in a different pattern.  The Mridangam then plays for 4 tisrams continuously. The tabla responds by doing the same. In between- that is before the tabla-, the flute shows its face and disappears. It appears again after the tabla, does a bird call and again disappears.

The two percussion instruments again play alternately after one tisram respectively, with a couple of melodic instruments appearing in the gap. Gaps are meant to be decorated, aren’t they?

Throughout the percussion exercise, two things stand out. One, both the percussion instruments are backed by the ankle bells. Two, each pattern is different.

Is he not Laya Natana Raaja?

We now get introduced to the Pallavi. I am saying ‘introduction’ because it is just the ‘dheem’ and ‘dhiranana’ . Ah, there is one more which is Janaki’s humming. SPB sings ‘dheem’ and Janaki responds in makaaram.  SPB sings ‘dhiranana’ and Janaki hums for both the phrases. More about Janaki’s role later.. But before that, we must see the musicality of nothingness.

It is a well known fact that silence is musical. No other composer has used the language of silence more effectively than ILaiyaraaja. Here too, there is pin drop silence after Janaki’s makaaram. Lasting exactly for a count of two tisrams, this silence conveys many things which a musical note cannot convey.

The Pallavi now starts with Janaki rendering ‘Dheem dhiranana’ and expands it with SPB singing the wordings in the same tune and the pattern continues. In the entire song, Janaki renders only the syllables except in the end when she renders the wordings of the Pallavi.

In a couple of my posts in the Blog, I have mentioned that ILaiyaraaja is the only composer who has used Janaki’s voice in lieu of instruments. This song is just an example. She renders the makaaram and the akaaram in the Pallavi and CharaNams with consummate ease in this song and this itself gives a special complexion to this composition.

What makes this more attractive are the statuesque korvais. But this does not take away any credit from the melodic instruments used though these are few in number.

The long flute plays the haunting strains in the beginning of the first interlude without percussion backing. The tabla tarang and the jalatarangam join together and respond giving ripples of melody. The ripples turn into some subtle patterns as the rhythm guitar takes the place of the two. The harmony and balance of the long flute are incredible as ever. Etched with lucidity and moving with fluidity, the veeNa swings with musical impulses.

The small flute gives some variegated nuggets of the raag. The mridangam changes the nadai to chatushram. How charming it is to see a change in gait! Mesmerised by this, the veeNa plays with a rounded mellowness.

The CharaNam is delightfully structured with the ‘makaaram’ and the ‘akaaram’ of Janaki taking us to empyrean heights. If the dominance of the higher octave notes in the first three lines makes it exciting, the ‘rimaga’ prayoga makes it cheekily beautiful. The impromptu entry of the kaakali nishada in the last line completes the subtle improvisation.

One has the darshan of the Laya Raaja yet again in the entire charaNam in the different patterns of mridangam for each line.

As the first CharaNam ends and the Pallavi is sung again, the raga change is perceptible. What makes the raga change in his compositions brilliant is the seamlessness. The raga change in this composition is no exception. The deluge of swaras by the chorus suggests Kaapi and even before one realises it, the raga changes to Bageshri.

The second charaNam starts with the akaaram of Janaki in Bageshri. This raga which is known for serenity gives us peace and calmness here with the use of some lower octave notes in the first line and the higher octave notes in the second and the third line. The percussion too plays a role in the change of mood with the mridangam giving way to the tabla. Bageshri is sketched with dexterity with the vaadi and samvaadi swars- ma and the upper Sa- and without even using the note ‘pa’.

As the second charaNam ends, the Pallavi is sung again and the mridangam sounds ‘ta’ ‘ta’ ‘ta’ ‘ta’ ’ta’ ‘ta’ ‘ta’ with resonance.

Is it saying ‘This is what is Divinity’ and ‘This is what is Heaven’?

Probably YES!

PS: This post was read out to a group of like-minded friends on the 27th of August 2017 as part of 'Geetanjali', an annual Event dedicated to ILaiyaraaja and his music!

Check this out on Chirbit

Natana Raaja-Part IV

Poetry in motion..

This is how one can describe an infant on the cradle.

The way it kicks its legs..
The way it moves its hands..
The way it cries..
The way it grumbles..

What is this if not poetry?

Periyaazhwar, the 9th Century Tamizh poet who composed 473 verses- out of which 210 verses are on the ‘growing-up’ of Child Krishna where he imagines himself to be Yasodha - says,

‘When I put him on the cradle, he kicks it and breaks it.
When I keep him on my waist, he breaks my ribcage.
When I feed him, he dances and kicks my stomach.
Oh..No! I am unable to bear his mischief!!’


கிடக்கில் தொட்டில் கிழிய உதைத்திடும்
எடுத்துக் கொள்ளில் மருங்கை யிறுத்திடும்
ஒடுக்கிப் புல்கில் உதரத்தே பாய்ந்திடும்
மிடுக்கிலாமையால் நான் மெலிந்தேன் நங்காய்!

Though the mother sounds very tired, one can easily see the appreciation and the adoration for her child.

Does one not feel poetry, hear music, and see dance in this?

A child is as beautiful as the Poetry, as mesmerizing as Music and as graceful as Dance.

In this thread, we have been seeing about poetry and music.In the last three posts, we have also been seeing albeit briefly about the various classical dance forms of India.

Today, let us see the two beautiful but somewhat contrasting forms from Kerala-KathakaLi and Mohiniaattam.

KathakaLi-meaning ‘Story play’- originated from Ramanaattam and Krishnanaattam, the earlier Dance drama forms of Kerala. Known for its unique make-up and costumes, beautiful body movements in synchronization with the vocal and the percussion music and detailed gestures, KathakaLi is not an easy dance form to perform (though an easy form to understand).A typical KathakaLi artiste is also well versed with KaLaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala that improves the concentration, stamina and co-ordination.
There are essentially 5 features in KathakaLi-Facial expressions with special emphasis on the eye-movements, Hand gestures (Mudras), rhythmic movements of hands, legs and the body as a whole(Nrittam), Vocal music(the musician also narrates the story from time to time and recites the dialogues of the different characters) and the percussion music(cymbals and 3 different types of native drums each producing a unique sound of its own).

This highly stylized classical performance involves a lot of co-ordination and is a team work. Generally, stories from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are performed and it is said that some of the legendary dancers would literally transform themselves on the stage making the audience feel as though they were watching the real characters live in action.

Mohiniaattam, the other classical dance form of Kerala means the ‘Dance of the beautiful woman’.Though ‘Mohini’ means a beautiful woman, here it is referred to Lord Vishnu who is believed to have taken the form of a very beautiful woman twice- during the churning of the Ocean -for the nectar- to distract the Rakshasas(the Demons) and then to kill a Demon called Basmaasura.

This dance form has slow graceful movements. The sensuous movements, the subtle footwork, the unique costume in white and golden colour, jasmine flowers woven around the tied hair and the classical style of music make Mohiniaattam a very beautiful dance form.

Devotion to the God forms the fulcrum of Mohinaattam. The Hero is generally Krishna and a typical performance has a jatiswaram, a varnam, a padam, and a Tillana very similar to a Bhartanatyam recital though the ‘adavus’(basic dance steps) are different from that of the latter.

Let us now look at the Natana Raaja composition of today that reminds one of both these forms.

The speciality of the composition is the interspersing of some lines from two Ashtapathis- that were composed by Jayadeva in the 12th century are one of the most beautiful Love poems that also gives the essence of the Jeevatma-Paramatma philosophy-and the poetic cry of a child.

The composition is ‘Aalolam peelikaavadi theril..’ from the Malayalam film Aalolam(1982).It is based on Malayamarutam.

Malayamarutam is a janya of the 16th melakarta Chakravaagam and its structure is
Sa ri1 ga3 pa dha2 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha2 pa ga3 ri1 sa.

The composition starts with the alluring flute which is couched in melody. It is sublime music as the santoor joins the flute as the Tabla nods its head in appreciation.


The song in the dainty voice of Yesudass is a document of delicacy.
One sees the aesthetic instincts of the composer as the Pallavi glows like a bright Kerala Lamp even as the rhythm undulates back and forth making us all sway.

The ebb and flow of the percussion in the beginning of the first interlude is scintillating and it conjures up images of a mischievous child playing hide and seek with us. The synthetic blend of the western and the eastern instruments is another beauty. The synthesizer and the Bass Guitar are ingeniously integrated while the lilting flute is laced with the charming Guitar and Malayamarutam smiles with a burnished shimmer.

The first two lines of the first CharaNam are fluently phrased. The third line has the poise and the fourth line has the pace.

It is mesmerizing ravishment.

As the CharaNam ends, we hear the special tone of the native Kerala drum followed by the first line of the 6th Ashtapati in which Radha complains about Krishna to her friend saying ‘why can’t he reform his ways and meet me?’.

This line alone is set in Kambodi ragam.

The innocent cry of the child at the end of this line gives a very special feeling.

The second charaNam is different from that of the first.

We see the clear stream of the Yamuna river..

We see the cross currents..

We see the graceful dance of the Gopikas and Krishna..

We see the kaleidoscope of colours..

We see the Nature’s regeneration..

We see the interplay of the human and the divine..

Exhilarating!!

The 19th Ashtapati of Jayadeva , ‘Priye Charusheele’ in Mukhari ragam, a rakti ragam known for its pristine beauty appears in the end with a pearly shine. The lines rendered with fervour take us to the realm of serenity.

‘Thwamasi mama bhooshanam..thwamasi mama jeevanam..thwamasi mama bhavajalati ratnam..’

You are my ornament..You are my breath..You are my jewel in the endless sea of life..

ILaiyaraaja-Musician with Vaatsalyam..

Words, like music have emotions.

When we read or write, what is it that that makes us involved in the subject?

Situations.. Yes..Of course!

Characters.. well..maybe!


But how do we even understand or even feel all these unless they are expressed with appropriate words?

Can we even imagine comprehending anything without that great thing called ‘words’?
Can we imagine communicating anything without that powerful thing called ‘words’?

Of course, there are times in our life when the unspoken or the unwritten are felt. I shall come to this a little later.

Let us go back to my statement about words having emotions.
Apart from emotions and feelings, words have culture too..
..Most importantly they are culture-specific and language-specific.

Therefore, some words when translated from one language to another may not covey the emotions attached to it though it may convey the meaning to a certain extent.

‘Vaatsalyam’ is one such word.

I really cannot think of any appropriate translation in English. At the most, one can say tender loving care.
When a mother fondles and nurses her child, it is Vaatsalyam. In tamizh, we call this as ‘parivu’(பரிவு).

Rather than trying to translate the word-which is seemingly impossible- let me quote a paasuram from Naalaiyira Divya Prabhandam.

Vishnu Chittar- better known as Periyaazhwar-who lived in the 9th century, composed 473 hymns out of which some 250 hymns are considered very very special. They are special because he considered himself as Krishna’s mother and described the child through the eyes of a mother.

It starts with the birth of the child and goes up to the point where Krishna goes on his own to herd the cows.
The lullabies are so powerful that it would bring tears even in an atheist’s eyes!

In this hymn, he asks the Moon to play with his sweet child.

‘Oh Moon!The shimmering rays from your beautiful face may cover the entire world..But ..it is no match to the beauty of my little one.. Can you not see his little fingers waving at you, and inviting you? Come fast and play with him before he feels the pain in his cute little fingers’.

சுற்றும் ஒளிவட்டம் சூழ்ந்து சோதிபரந்தெங்கும்
எத்தனை செய்யினும் என்மகன் முகம் நேரொவ்வாய்
வித்தகன் வேங்கடவாணன் உன்னை விளிக்கின்ற
கைத்தலம் நோவாமே அம்புலீ! கடிதோடிவா.

This hymn is part of the 10 hymns in 'Ambuli paruva paththu'.

Most of us know how tiny tots get fascinated looking at the moon and how they wave at the moon with a smiling face.In fact, even now, children are fed in moonlight because of this reason.But how many of us have even bothered about the little fingers and the tiny hand that waves at the moon?

Periyaazhwar did..And that is Vaatsalyam!!

I mentioned in the beginning about words having emotions.
I also said that there are times when we feel the unspoken or the unwritten.

Yes.. this happens to us when we listen to music.

Coming to think of it, swaras play the role of the words. But aren’t there only 7 basic swaras while the number of words are much more(in millions in some languages)?
True! But it is the combination of these swaras that matter.One can have umpteen permutations and combinations and each one is different and unique.

So, while one combination of swaras can give us pleasure, some other combination can evoke a totally different kind of emotion- say sadness. That is the beauty of music!

The Raga system in Indian Classical Music is special not just because it is unique but also because each raga is known to evoke certain moods and emotions.

We have had composers who have understood this fact and have given us some immortal compositions. But still..I feel no composer in film music has understood, applied and executed this well than ILaiyaraaja.

He treats each swara and raga as his own child and fondles them.
But I feel, he also considers us as his children and treats us with Vaatsalyam.
Listen to his immortal compositions.

Don’t feel the tender loving care?

Don’t we feel the affection?

Don’t we feel the love?

Today’s composition is doubly special and you will soon know the reason.

This song is based on Shankarabharanam.

Shankarabharanam is one of the oldest ragas and is widely used in all major form of music.

It forms the major diatonic scale or the C Major in Western music.
It is called as Bilawal in Hindustani system and all the swaras used in this ragas are known by the word ‘shudhdh’(meaning pure).

It is called as ‘Pazhampanjuram’ in Tamizh PaN.

It is a very divine raga. It appeals to the senses and evokes a mood of sublimity. That is why it is considered to be the most superior amongst all ragas.

In Carnatic system, it is the 29th melakarta and has the following structure:
Sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 sa.

The pratimadhayama counterpart of Shankarabharanam is Kalyani but there is a world of difference between the two ragas in the way they are sung. There are some special prayogas in both the ragas that make them distinct.

For example, ‘ga’ is a flat swara in Shankarabharanam and this itself gives a very soothing effect.There is minimum oscillation of ‘ni’ as well.

This is balanced by the strong oscillation of ‘ri’ and ‘dha’.

Therefore it is a raga that is calm and sedate but at the same time majestic too..

It is because of this reason that Neelambari, a raga derived from Shankarabharanam is widely used in lullabies.
As a matter of fact, Shankarabharanam itself has contours of lullabies.

And Raaja has exploited this fact well in many compositions- a classic example being ‘Poove iLaiya poove’.

Today’s composition also has shades of a classic lullaby.
The composition is ‘Sandhanamittu sadhiraadum mottu’ from ‘Rusi kaNda poonai’(1980).

The prelude itself brings a sense of calmness and sedateness.

The (electric) violin is lucid as the flute blossoms. The violin then glides adding more sangatis and the flute responds with equal flair. In fact, the Flute just repeats what the violin says and there lies the whole beauty. The surprise element is the piano base that make our hearts flutter. The stringed instrument then takes over and we can easily visualize a child prancing in front of us. The tune of the Pallavi now takes shape.

He teaches a lesson or two(as always) to all aspiring music composers on how a prelude should lead us to the Pallavi.

The percussion (tabla) makes an appearance now just towards the end of the Pallavi and that takes me to the Laya Raja aspect in this composition.

The composition follows the simple 8-beat cycle but let us see how he has beautifully used the tabla in line with the theme of the song and the tune.

As I mentioned, the Tabla appears towards the end of the prelude and it repeats the pattern played by the stringed instrument:
Ta – dhi-.
A simple pattern ‘ta ka dhi mi’ where only the first and the third syllables are played.

As the Pallavi starts the Tabla remains silent until the 5th beat. Thereafter, it plays only the first syllable ‘Ta’until the 8th beat where it plays the first and the third syllable(ta dhi).When the Pallavi is rendered the second time, the Tabla starts right from the first beat , again playing only the first syllable until the eighth syllable where it plays the first and the third syllable.

If we assume that this will be the pattern throughout, we are not genuine Raaja followers. For, all genuine followers know his propensity to spring a surprise and his fascination for trying out things differently.

The interludes that follow the ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern do not have any percussion instrument.

In the CharaNams, the Tabla appears only from the fourth beat-playing the first and the third syllable.The tabla continues from the second line playing only the ‘ta’ and playing the ‘ta ‘dhi’ every fourth beat.

We see this pattern in the first 6 lines(first 3 lines are repeated once).
The second part-from the 7th line ‘punnagai vizhiyil aada’ in the first charaNam and ‘kaigaLil thuzhuvum mullai’ in the second charaNam- is what makes him a Laya Raja.

The first time we hear, we expect the fourth beat to have ‘ta dhi’(despite being genuine Raaja followers!).But only the ‘ta’ is heard until the eighth beat when we hear the ‘ta dhi’ and this continues till the end of the charaNams.
When the Pallavi is rendered after the charaNams, the Tabla again joins at the 5th beat and the ‘ta dhi’ is heard at the 8th beat.

This is the pattern:

Pallavi from the time Tabla joins in the first line : ta – dhi –
Second line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –

CharaNams:
First line from the time tabla joins: ta – dhi –
Second line:ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Third line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fourth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fifth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Sixth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Seventh line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
Eighth line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –

Look how a very simple ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern does wonders in the hands of Laya Raja.

Let us now go back to the Pallavi for the melodic and the orchestration aspects.

Only two lines but they are repeated and this itself gives a mesmerizing lullaby effect.
Both the lines have classical dignity with the voice of Suseela lending the right kind of impetus and sweetness.

The first interlude is suffused with deep colours of the raga.

It starts with the luminous bells. The single violin is intensely elegant and tantalizingly beautiful. We begin to immerse ourselves in this beauty not realizing that this is just a sample. The gait changes and three violins enter the party. The first one dazzles, the second one gives dart-like flashes and the third one captures the special fragrance of Western Classical Music.

A string of quicksilver passages arranged meticulously!

The CharNams are replete with classicism.

The first two lines are succinct and the third line in the higher octave gives radiant shades of the raga.
The lines are repeated again and the subtle sangati in the fifth line-which is a repetition of the second line- is Raaja Special.

The following lines weave well-knit patterns nourishing the already healthy child!

There is a plethora of phrases in the second interlude.

To start with we hear a synthetic blend of violins in western classical style. The Flute played with imperceptible finesse takes spiraling spins even as the violins continue in their immaculate style. Suddenly, the guitar dances with ecstasy and we see wonderful vistas. The violins wind up with a gentle flavour.

The composition is full of intricate detailing woven around gentle human emotions.

Vaatsalyam..
Is that not this composition all about?

உன்னிசை காதில் பட்டுத் தழுவும்பொழுது மலரும் மனது..
When your music enters our ears and embraces us, our minds blossom..